Textiles are a main transmission route for micro-organisms so hygienic clothing is especially important in areas such as healthcare and food processing. Workers also need clothing that is comfortable to wear as well as easy to clean and maintain and often prefer cotton
The project worked with regenerated cellulose fibres, which have many of the same properties as cotton but because they are synthetic can be given an antimicrobial treatment.
Three variants were produced using zinc, zinc oxide and silver nitrate to produce the antimicrobial effect. The use of zinc is particularly innovative as it has rarely been used in textiles. However, it proved to have the same advantages as silver but with the additional benefit of avoiding changes of colour during processing and care treatments.
The fibres were tested, using DIN10524, for compliance with the minimum technical standards for textiles such as manufacturing and rental requirements and comfort. They were also tested for antimicrobial effectiveness after 100 wash and dry cycles.
Hohenstein says that the positive results of the tests show that the project can form the basis for a fresh approach to antimicrobial fabrics using zinc and regenerated cellulose fibres.
It is making the results available for general use by interested parties such as the textile
